Creeper



March 7, 1950 p A MARCEAU 2,499,516

CREEPER Filed April 2l, 1948 Patented Mar. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CREEPER Pierre A. Marceau, Newburyport, Mass. Application April 21, 1948, Serial No. 22,372

s claims. (o1. .s6-66,) f

This invention relates to a device to be attached to the bottoms of shoes, overshoes, or the like, to prevent a pedestrian from slipping when walking on slippery surfaces, such as ice. 1t is an object of the invention to provide a creeper which can quickly and easily be attached to or removed from the bottom of a shoe or overshoe without cutting into the sole of the shoe, which is rela-A tively inexpensive to make and which is eiective in use.

plate is permanently fixed to the shank portion of the shoe sole where it does not interfere with walking since it is not on a ground-engaging part of the surface of the sole. For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawing, of which- Figure 1 is an elevational View oan overshoe to which is secured a creeper embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the creeper and its anchor plate;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-.5 of Figure 3.

For convenience of description in the following specication and claims, the Creeper will be considered to be in the position illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the drawing, that is, with its upper surface toward the shoe. It is evident that when the device is inverted, the terms upper, lower, etc., will be reversed.

The creeper comprises an elongated plate I9 of steel or other rigid material, the corners of which are pointed and bend downwardly, as at I2, to form sharp prongs or spikes which are adapted to dig into an icy surface or the like suiciently to prevent slipping thereon. Secured to the upper face of the plate ID at its mid-portion is a disc I4 from the periphery of which two lugs I6 project radially, these lugs being arranged to extend transversely with respect to the long axis of the plate I0. The disc I4 is permanently secured in any suitable manner to the plate II), as by welding, riveting or otherwise. The lugs It are oiset from the plane of the disc I4 so that they are spaced from the surface of the plate Ill. An anchor plate 2li, which is considerably smaller than the plate I0, is secured to the shank portion of a shoe sole by rivets or otherwise. in Figure 2, four holes 22 are provided near the corners of the plate 20 to receive rivets by which the plate may be secured to the sole of the shoe As shown l 10 According to the present invention, an anchor or overshoe. Hollow rivets may be furnished with the Creeper and plate so that the plate can easily be secured in place without the use of any special tools. Centrally located in the plate 20 is an aperture 24 which has a contour similar to and slightly larger than the contour of the disc I4 with its lugs It. Thus, the shape of the aperture 24 is preferably circular with diametrically offset extensions 25 adapted to receive the lugs I6. The plate is secured to the sole of the shoe in such manner that the aperture extensions 26 lie on the long axis of the shoe. The central portion or inner margin of the plate 2E! surrounding the aperture 2t is bulged or ofsetdownwardly from the outer margin so that when the plate is secured by its corners to the sole of a shoe or overshoe, as illustrated in Figure l, there will be a clearance 30 between the inner margin of the plate immediately surrounding the aperture 24 and the adjacent surface of the shoe sole, this clearance beingsufcient to receive the lugs I6 between the plate 20 and the sole of the shoe to which it is secured. After the plate 2t has been properly secured to the shank portion of the shoe sole, preferably near the break creeper Ill may quickly and easily be mounted in place by inserting the disc I4 and lugs It into the aperture 24. The offset of the inner margin of the anchor plate with respect to the outer margin thereof provides clearance for the lugs IS without the necessity of making a recess in the sole itself. Owing to the arrangement of the lugs I E and the aperture extensions 2B relative to the axes of the respective plates, the plate I0 must be applied to the shoe with its long axis extending transversely with respect to the long axis of the shoe. The lugs It are then in a position to enter the extensions 26. The offset of the lugs from the plane of the disc I4 permits the lugs to pass through the extensions 26 so that when the plate Ill is turned about the disc I4 as a center, the lugs will move to positions underneath the margin of the plate 2Q surrounding the aperture 24, as indicated in Figure 3. The plate I0 is ypreferably given a 90 turn so that its long axis is in line with the long axis of the shoe sole. It is then in position for use, the forward prongs I2 being under the ball of the shoe sole, the rear prongs I2 being under the forward portion of the heel. The fitted engagement oi the disc It in the aperture 2li and the engagement of the opposed radial lugs i6 under the inner margin oi-,the anchor plate provide a strong joint .between the plates .well adapted to withstand the in the sole, thel stresses to which the creeper is apt to be subjected when in actual use.

In Figure 1, an overshoe is illustrated having a very 10W heel. The rear portion 32 of the plate I0 is downwardly oiset from the remainder of the plate by bends at 34 so that the portion 32 can ride on the heel of the shoe. If it is desired to use creepers on shoes having heels of substantial height, the degree of offset of the rear portion 32 is considerably greater in accordance with the height of the heel.

In order to maintain the creeper releasably in its proper position, a pair of bosses 36 may be formed on the plate Il) adjacent to the disc hl to fit into holes or dimples 38 in theA plateil. There is sufficient resilience in the material of the plates l0 and 20 to permit the bosses-36 to ride on the surface of the plate 2i] when the lugs I6 first en.- gage over the inner edge of the aperture 24. When the plate Ill is turned to its position for use, the bosses B snap into the edge of the holes- 38 and hold the plate IU against accidental rotation. The bosses 36 are conical or seniispherica'l in shape so that theyride out of the holes 3S' when force is applied to the plate lli to turn it from its position for `use to a position in which the lugs I6 register with the extensions 26". The plate IU can be then removed from the plate 2D,

I claim: 1. An anti-slip device for shoes and the like, comprising an anchor plate having a central circular aperture with two radial extensions,` the inner margin of', the plate adjacent to said aperture being oiset downwardly from the. outer margin, and an elongated pronged plate removably mounted on said anchor plate and interlocked therewith, said pronged plate having a disc secured to the upper face thereof and fitted in said aperture, said'dischaving upwardly offset lugs extending radially therefrom over the inner margin of the anchor plate and arranged to register with said extensions of the aperture when the pronged plate is turned about said disc through ar predeterminedv angle'from its normal position relative to the anchor plate.

2. An anti-slip device for shoes and the like, comprising an anchor plate having a central cir-- cular aperture with two radial extensions, the

inner margin of the plate adjacent to said aperture being offset downwardly from the outer margin, an elongated pronged plate removably mounted on said anchor plate and interlocked 5 therewith, said pronged plate having a disc secured to the upper face thereof near the center and fitted in said aperture, said disc having upwardly offset lugs extending radially therefrom over. the.V inner margin ofthe anchor plate and arranged to.v register with said extensions of the aperture when the pronged plate is turned about said disc through a predetermined angle from its normal position relative to the anchor plate, and means for yieldingly retaining said plates in their i normal.. relative position, said means comprising two smallv bosses projecting from a face of one said' :plate: into: corresponding dimples in a face lof theother said plate.

'3; In combination with an article of footwear having a sole and heel, an anti-slip device comprising an anchor plate secured on thesurface of the shank portion of said sole, said plate having a centrali circular aperture with radial eX- tensions, the inner margin of said' plate adja i cent to sai'daperture being offset laway from the surface of the sole, and an elongated pronged plate in interlockedl engagement with said anchor plate; said pronged plate having al forward.v portion bearing againstthe tread portion ofsa-id soley and a rear portion downawrdly onset tc bear onY the tread surface of said heel', said pronged plate having a vdisc on its upper face fitted in'said aperture and providedA with radial lugs Inormally ex tending over said inner margin of they anchor plate, said pronged plate being rotatable' about said disc'l to move said lugs to register with the extensions of sa-id aperture for the removal of the pronged plate from theanchor plate.

PIERRE A. MARCEAU.

REFEREN CES CITED Name Date Fi'nkley Jan. 10, 1905 Chase Sent. 17. 1929 Number 

